Chapter 21

Enterprise had arrived at the boundary of the Altair system.
Further scans had revealed two Klingon Bird-of-Prey near the fifth planet, where the base was located.
It was an uninhabited planet with two moons.
Archer and his officers were examining the situation in the briefing room.

"They're heavily armed." Malcolm said "If we go against them, they will break us to pieces."
"Did they detect us?" asked Archer.
"Apparently their long-range sensors are not scanning in our direction." T'Pol countered. "But it won't take long before they do."
"Are there human bio-signs aboard their vessels?" asked Archer.
"No, Sir." Hoshi answered.
"Seems all scientists are inside the base. Any chance to beam them up with the transporter?" was Archer's question.
"The base has a sort of shield which destabilizes the bio-signs signal, the transporter wouldn't work." said T'Pol.
"In any case, we aren't close enough to match the transporter range." added Trip.
"We could use the shuttlepods." suggested Hoshi.
"Klingons would destroy them before they reach the planet." said Malcolm.
"We should find a way to land on the planet without being traced." mumbled Archer.
Niki said: "The test shuttle has a device to fake its impulse signature. But if they make visual scans, its presence could be easily revealed. Moreover, we should prevent communications between the base and the Klingon vessels."
"We should jam their scanners and their communications ... but how?" asked Trip.
"That is not a problem ... I could send a sort of interference signal to their vessels." said Hoshi "But they would detect the source and our ship too quickly."
"What if the source wasn't our ship?" asked Niki.
Archer looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
She pressed some buttons on the console to give them a larger view of the planet.
"There are two satellites orbiting the planet ... here and here" she pointed her finger at the screen "They orbit at an elevation of approximately 35000 km."
"What are they for?" asked Trip.
"Communications, I suppose." Niki said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Go ahead." said Archer, who was becoming curious.
"They follow exactly the same orbit, one opposed to the other. This means that only one satellite is visible, while the other is hidden by the planet." she pressed other buttons to magnify the view of one satellite. "Considering Klingon's position ... if we place one transmitter on each satellite, it would take them some time to detect both sources and destroy them."
Hoshi smiled: "Good idea, Niki, I could place those transmitters and make the final adjustments of the jamming signal."
"What's their revolution time around the planet?" asked Archer.
T'Pol made some calculus on her PADD "58 minutes. This means that there's an interval of 29 minutes between the two satellites."
"The question is ... how do we reach each satellite without being detected?" said Trip.
"I have an idea ..." said Archer, pointing at the screen "We'll stay on the far side of that moon. It should keep us out of view. Hoshi could reach the first satellite, place the transmitter, wait for the second and ..."
"We can't use the shuttles or the transporter, they would detect us." said Niki.
"She could use the EV suit's thrusters." Archer countered.
"It would take hours to reach the satellite, the air supply in the EV suit wouldn't be enough." said T'Pol.
Trip opened his eyes wide: "The grappler!"
"What?" Malcolm said and everybody looked at Trip questioningly.
"We could use the grappler to push her towards the satellite and retrieve her the same way. The tethers are long enough to do the trick ... and it would be very fast!" Trip answered.
"No, no, wait a minute ... that's a too difficult procedure for Hoshi, I will do that." said Malcolm.
"Oh well, that's flattering!" Hoshi said in anger "That's MY job, Mal ... I can do it!"
Malcolm grabbed her arm: "It's too risky." he muttered.
She could read in his eyes he was worried.
"I can look out for myself, Mal." she said calmly "I've got my space legs."
"Don't worry Malcolm. We will bring her back in one piece." Archer smiled. "Now, this should give us time enough to land with the shuttle, place the charges and retrieve the scientists before the base blows up."
"We don't know how many Klingons are there, Sir." Niki countered.
"Lt. Parker is right, their presence has to be expected." said T'Pol.
"Even if the signal is destabilized, we could locate them and avoid their position inside the base." answered Archer.
Niki said: "It would be more easier if we simply blow up the base and leave them ..."
"This is out of the question!" Archer interrupted her "I won't let them die."
"You already know my opinion, Captain." Niki said, folding her arms "Dr. Parsons and his henchmen are too dangerous to be left alive. Admiral Gardner's orders ..."
"I won't kill them. I will bring them back to Earth ... cost what it may." he said with finality.
Niki raised her hands in surrender: "As you wish, Captain."
Archer could feel she was hurt even if she didn't show, but he pretended not to notice.
T'Pol broke the silence: "The test shuttle is not big enough to contain all the scientists."
"I'll see to it" Trip said "Removing some equipments from the shuttle and the rescue capsule, there will be place for 12, not more. They won't be comfortable, but I suppose they will adapt themselves."
"This means that only one of us can land on the planet!" Malcolm objected. "How can he place the charges, evacuate the scientists and leave the planet before the base blows up? There's not enough time to do that alone."
"And you're forgetting the Klingons." added Niki.
Archer paced the room, then stopped and asked: "The shuttle has the autopilot ... could it be controlled by the bridge, so that we can bring it back with the scientists?"
Niki said: "Yes, but ..." then she realized what he had in mind. "This would mean that ..."
"don't!"
"First, evacuate the scientists ... then, place the charges and blow up the base. At least, they will be safe." Archer said "As soon as the scientists are onboard, Enterprise will leave at max. warp. Before the Klingons realize what's happening, you will be far from here."
"This would mean that the shuttle's pilot wouldn't make it back!" Trip exclaimed.
"I know, Trip." Archer said calmly "I'll be that pilot."
A deafening silence filled the room.
"pehkaya!"

o-o-o-o-o-o

They all tried to make him change his mind, but to no avail.
T'Pol and Niki stayed in his ready room for half an hour, trying to convince him it was a mistake, but he didn't listen.
Meanwhile, Malcolm was escorting Hoshi to the airlock.
"Don't be worried about the Captain, Malcolm. I know that, somehow, he'll surprise us. He always does ... I'm sure he'll be back."
"I would like to have your optimism, Hoshi." he sighed.
He couldn't stop giving her advices, so she simply kissed him long and lovingly, to make him shut up.
"I love you, Lt. Reed." she smiled.
"I love you too." he mumbled.
"Don't worry, I'll be back ... and I'll marry you and we'll have children and we'll make love ... well ... not necessarily in that order." she chuckled.
Malcolm stared at her: "I didn't ask you to marry me ... not yet."
"I'm asking first. Will you marry me, Malcolm Reed?" she asked gently "Don't answer now. Just think about it." she winked, closing the airlock door.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Trip and Archer were in launch bay, checking the last things on the shuttle and waiting for Hoshi's signal that the first transmitter was working.
"Cap'n, please, don't do this."
"I have to."
"Then send someone else ... send me!"
"No, Trip, you're needed here. We both know that this ship wouldn't get anywhere without you. I can't make the warp engines run. A Captain can be easily replaced, but not one helluva chief engineer." he tried to joke.
"A friend like you cannot be easily replaced."
Archer patted his shoulder: "We've been through a lot together, Trip." he smiled. "I'm sorry I wasn't always there, when you needed me. I hope you have forgiven me. This ship has eaten away my life more than I expected." he sighed deeply.
"Forget it. We both know you had a great responsibility in the Expanse and ..."
"This doesn't justify my behaviour, Trip. I let the Xindi become an obsession. I shouldn't have ..."
"The situation was understandable. If it wasn't for you, I am sure we would all be dead by now."
"Do you perhaps believe that this consoles me? Sometimes I feel like I don't have the right to live ... or be happy."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Jon."
"27, Trip. 27 crewmen didn't make it back. Their parents were there, in front of me and I couldn't find a way to explain why I wasn't able to protect them. I couldn't stand to do that once again." he sighed deeply "Nobody waits for me on Earth, nobody will cry."
"That's not true, Jon. We are your family ... well, I can't speak for the others ... but I will surely cry."
They hugged sadly.
Trip was going away, but Archer stopped him: "Trip, would you do me a favour?"
"Yes?"
"Take good care of T'Pol."
Trip was puzzled and was going to ask something more, but Malcolm said through the comm: "Bridge to capt. Archer"
"Archer here."
"Hoshi has placed the first transmitter, the jamming signal will start in a couple of minutes. Get ready to leave."
"Acknowledged."
Archer gave half a smile to Trip: "You'd better get out here, Trip."
Trip nodded: "Goodbye, Cap'n."
Trip left the launch bay and Archer was going aboard the shuttle, when a voice behind him said:
"Don't ... move!"
He slowly turned and watched in amazement the woman with a phase-pistol in her hand.
"I won't let you do that, Jonathan." a tear rolled on her cheek and her voice quivered "Not this time."
He couldn't believe to his eyes.
He only stammered: "T ... T'Pol?"